In traditional rites for
the Holy Eucharist (Mass, Holy Communion,…), the opening call and
response has to do with the reign or Kingdom of God. That call and
response goes like this:
Leader: “Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”
Congregation:“And blessed be His [sic] Kingdom, now and forever. Amen.”1
In
those two lines we sum up the church’s mission. But we often say those
words unthinkingly, without awareness of their import. How many of us
can say what the Kingdom of God is, or what it means to bless God or
God’s kingdom? And if we cannot describe it in our own words, what do we
mean when we say it? And if we do not know what it means, how can we
possibly “work, pray, and give” to “bring in the Kingdom?”2
1 The Book of Common Prayer, p. 355
2 The Book of Common Prayer, p. 856
No comments:
Post a Comment